Night Chating of Seafarer
Taiwan
October 25, 2008
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A warm summer day Great Universe departed Santos for Marseilles of France. Everybody on board was working as usual ,having no idea of what would be coming to them very soon.
In sight of a stretch of blue sea, everything seemed to be so peaceful and joyful. Oh! France! What a romantic country you were ! I was sick for you for a long time.Being intoxicated at the prospect of the Marseilles trip ,all the crews were shocked by a sudden serious vibration.None knew what was going on and what to do.
The rudder won't work at the time being just a few hours after leaving port.Having no idea,we could do nothing but only waited for the company's further instructions.Then,a miracle happened. A tugboat from Rio de Janeiro was coming all the way to us. We got an order heading to Rio de Janeiro, immediately.
Do you believe it ? How do you take it ,a good luck ? Do you take it that way too ?
After nearly 3 day's long dragging,the real great "Great Universe" finally arrived in Rio.Jesus statue of Rio de Janeiro being in sight ,so close to me ,opening his arms widely,
seemed to welcome these unexpected son's coming.
Oh! My holy God. He seemed to give me a mysterious smile too. What's he smiling at ?
When we were about to drop the anchor at anchorage, something unbelievable took place again.I couldn't help to say "My dear dear Jesus! You are really really cute ! You are really
somebody!".The tugboat's towing wires had twisted with our anchor's chain. Mamma,mia !
I believe the answer would have known to everybody. Right ? Cut it off !I took a quick glance of the sailors. Strange to say,all sailors were chuckling to themself aside.This accident meant that there would be a long vacation awaiting them but the captain.
Till today,I'm still impressed by the color of my dearest captain's weird face. Chocolate!Maybe... pure coffee is more accurate! Trust me! It's something for sure in my whole life
to see his face like this.
After a short time of flurry, we set up everything to repair the vessel,and finally having the precious gift of God.I and 2nd engineer,putting all the trouble aside for a while,went to the city center from dock.
We had no idea for what to do when arrived at the entrance of subway.We saw,at that very moment of wanderings,two ladies coming this way,and asking me something in Portuguese which
I didn't get at all.Having no time to fool around,I mustered up my courage ,and cared for nothing to ask them where the places were for sightseeing in Rio.
Boy!It's wonderful! Their English was no better than I was .We were even. The 2nd engineer enhanced his voice to give me a hint at that very embarrassing situation "Forget that lousy
sightseeing,The ladies are about to leave!"
What? I was shocked then,until that moment,I just paid a good look at them .Oh!yes!What's wrong with me ?There were two ladies right in front of me.
I asked them to be my guide for Rio in a hurry.Then the next ,I should say it's the most ridiculous trip I had ever met. Just walked around the city for nothing.Can you imagine
that ?When taking the wandering walk,she asked me "Do you have a girl friend ?Where do you live ?" and so on.I was completely confused.Will this be my first day in Rio? Jesus,we
had only seven days to stay here.
I was not on the alert for what she would be asking me.Now I know she is very clever and intelligent.She takes a kind of marvelous and unbelievable way to force me to come out with
the truth " You are more beautiful." She forced me to express which one of them is beautiful.She finally got what she wanted.I was very embarrassing.
This was my first time to talk with a girl and to make me like a criminal before the judge . I had no idea how terrible it would be to chat with a girl . Are all the girls in the same manner ?
She wanted me to come Bananal Island at 5 o'clock with another friend as beautiful as I was.I really didn't get what was on her mind.At hearing 5 o'clock ,I almost fainted .That
meant I had to get up before 3 at dock.So I said how about 7."Too late ! Make it 6." she said.
We finally made an agreement at 6 o'clock , Bananal Island next day.I got 3rd engineer with me to get there early in the mornig .On the bus,3rd engineer teased me by saying "3rd
officer!It's really hard to have a date with you." It's really embarrassing to hear this.
Looking at my best friend,I was getting worried if he might become my enemy in the end.I could feel ,even touch something being wrong.What would be happen in the future was
something beyond my control.Just left it to God.When we got there just like a couple of wooden head, there was no sign of them.
On the way back to the city,I thought of a misunderstanding happened in a movie before.The characters in the play went wrong for the secquence of the appointed date.I thought I
probably made the same mistake too .The right time should be 6 o'clock in the afternoon ,not early in the morning.What's the matter with me ?What she wanted was a date ,and what I had thought was a day's sightseeing.My God ! I had gone too far.
Just as I had expected,they appeared on the correct time.Now,I always think if I didn't think of that movie.Then,everything would be fine hereafter.
I'm not sure whether every girl is as jealous as her.I was not allowed to see her classmate.I could tell that she was really angry with me.No kidding! We were,at that time,even not a friend at all. We just met.
After this,we had many good times in Rio. My Fath'ma is fine in every way but seriously jealous.With her,I could hear the most harmonious melody on earth. And when the tuneful
singing ceased there was always a pair of beautiful and shining eyes watching at me with the most mysterious smile on her cheerful and flushed cheeks, seeming to tell me something she
couldn't say. My dear Fath'ma,I was crazy for you ! God must be jealous from that time on.
Time went by slowly but fast, one day my tricky and beloved Fath'ma suddenly led me to a place.She showed me that so familiar and mysterious smile again. Sometimes, I really didn't get what this little pretty
fairy intended to do .
I did what she had told as a fool,getting on the bus and going nowhere.About 30 minutes later,she told me that her parents wanted to see me.
"Oh!No!Mary and Joseph!"I talked to myself," This time I'm dead.In the bus I have no place to hide now." All of a sudden,the sun ,in the sky, became more bright and hot then ever,making me hard to move my shivering legs.
Although I knew I had to see her parents sooner or later.But... I just couldn't help trying to escape,just like a mouse seeing a cat.
You would never know how that day I had been through.Because I had no idea either.After that,my beloved Fath'ma became silence.I knew what had worried her,and that made me more heartbreaking too.
"You can stay here." she said,at last.
"I would love to ,but that takes time ,and I got to get everything ready in Taiwan."
"................."
I quite realized how their parents cherished Fath'ma.For years to bring her up,how could I,so suddenly and cruelly, get their beloved baby to a place so far away ? I suddenly realized how selfish a person I was.
Oh! My sweet Lord, told me what I should do ?
A voice -Don't touch her as if you can't marry her,suddenly came into my heart.Now I knew my parents were right.
My sweet Lord ! Thanks for your faith to constrain my desire of touching her.My heart had been occupied by Satan so many times ,and there were so many fightings deep in my heart too.I ,with your help,succeeded to stop what I shouldn't do. You surely know how hard it would be to me.How fortunate !It always happened nothing between us.Otherwise,how could I face up to this question ,today ?
Finally,I mustered up my courage to say what I was sick of .
"........Can we just be a friend ? "
"No ! I don't want to be your friend,I want to be your wife."
I was deeply touching by her serious look.
God seemed to have no answer for the question.
Ship had completed all the repairs at last.The voyage to Europe and relationship between us continued. To be an officer ,I could get a good salary and widen my horizons.Meanwhile,I could take a good look at this world, Portugal,Spain,France,Italy,Israel,Malta,Turkey,Romania even Egypt... For me ,life couldn't be better in those days.
What will be will be. The day of going home had finally come.Having my parent's approval,I wished she could promise to go home with me.
At that day of my last voyage to Rio,there had no joyful singing anymore but a kind of agitation around me.That really made me feel uneasy.Making a circle on my arm with
her little finger time after time,having no idea what course to take,she still gave me no answer.Really !I was very afraid to see her face of grieving.That's a torture to me.
I was unwilling to leave my beloved Fath'ma.I hate God for making such fun of me. Since you have given us such a chance to come across, why don't you fulfill my humble wish to get together ?
Could it be said that you have made something else to us ?